Elizabeth neighborhood guide: About restaurants, historic parks and attractions
Welcome to Elizabeth, one of Charlotte’s oldest neighborhoods established in 1891 southeast of uptown.
Check out its many restaurants and boutique shops, or stroll its tree-lined streets that include what local historian Tom Hanchett calls some of Charlotte’s best-preserved homes from the early 1900s.
Watch a pro soccer match at American Legion Memorial Stadium, see a concert at Visulite Theatre or enjoy the outdoors at Independence Park, Charlotte’s oldest public park.
Why it’s called Elizabeth
It’s named after Elizabeth College, a Lutheran women’s school that opened in 1897 in a prominent, two-story brick building on the top of a hill, according to Hanchett’s published history of the neighborhood. His research is on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission website.
The Rev. Charles King, who ran the school, was the son-in-law of tobacco magnate and Duke family associate Gerard Watts, whose money largely built the school, Hanchett writes.
The college was named for Watts’ wife, Anne Elizabeth Watts, according to Hanchett’s article.
“Soon the hillside was known as ‘Elizabeth Hill’ and the fledgling neighborhood officially became Elizabeth,” Hanchett writes.
Elizabeth College is now Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.
Single-family home median price
$873,000, according to Redfin.com.
Apartment rental median price
$1,995, according to Redfin.
Who lives in Elizabeth
Elizabeth has about 6,000 residents, with a median age of 34, according to the U.S. census, and a median household income of $76,676.
Eighty-one percent of residents are white, 8% Hispanic and 7% Black, according to Niche.com.
Thirty-three percent have master’s degrees or higher, compared with 14% nationally. Forty-nine percent have bachelor’s degrees, 21% nationally.
Sources: U.S. census, Niche.com, Homes.com, Point2Homes.com, SearchCharlotte.com.
Restaurants
Big Ben British Restaurant & Pub, 1535 Elizabeth Ave.
Anntony’s Caribbean Café , 2001 E. 7th St.
Bang Bang Burgers, 2001 E. 7th St.
Biscuit Belly, 1949 E. 7th St.
Cajun Queen, 18000 E. 7th St.
Caswell Station, 366 N. Caswell Road.
Catalina Kitchen + Bar, 1942 E. 7th St.
The Crunkleton, 1957 E. 7th St.
Customshop, 1601 Elizabeth Ave.
The Fig Tree Restaurant, 1601 E. 7th St.
Hawthorne’s New York Pizza & Bar, 1701 E. 7th St.
Kappo En, 1941 E. 7th St.
Menya Noodle Counter, 1941 E. 7th St.
Lupie’s Cafe, 2718 Monroe Road.
1900 Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar, 1523 Elizabeth Ave.
Rosemont Market & Wine Bar, 1942 E. 7th St.
Sandwich Max, 933 Louise Ave.
Viva Chicken, 1617 Elizabeth Ave.
Source: Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
Schools
Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School, 1601 Park Drive. Started in 1912, this CMS school is among Charlotte’s oldest elementary schools.
Central Piedmont Community College, 1201 Elizabeth Ave.
Houses of worship
Longstanding churches include:
St. Martin’s Episcopal, 1510 E. 7th St.
Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian, 1615 E. Fifth St.
Hawthorne Lane United Methodist, 501 Hawthorne Lane.
St. John’s Baptist, 300 Hawthorne Lane.
Parks
Elizabeth Park, 1124 E. 4th St. Part of Little Sugar Creek Greenway.
Independence Park, 300 Hawthorne Lane. Charlotte’s oldest public park includes a nature trail, rose garden with a gazebo, athletic fields, picnic areas and playground.
Thompson Park, 1129 E. 3rd St. The park includes St. Mary’s Chapel, a venue accommodating 70 guests for weddings ,memorial services and other ceremonies.
City Council/District representative
Tiawana Brown, representing District 3.
Crime stats
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Central Division - 700 W. 5th Street. 704-336-5729
Attractions
Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, 417 Pecan Ave., among the largest retailers in the country dedicated to comics. Owner Shelton Drum founded the popular Heroes Convention Charlotte in 1982, billed as “America’s Favorite Comic Convention.”
American Legion Memorial Stadium, 1218-1238 Armory Drive, home of the Charlotte Independence and Carolina Ascent FC pro soccer teams. The Mecklenburg County-owned stadium opened in 1936 and underwent a $40.5 million makeover before reopening in 2021.
Dale F. Halton Theater, 1206 Elizabeth Ave., a 1,020-seat venue at Central Piedmont Community College that resembles a 19th-century opera house.
Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings Drive, a 3,000-seat civic center that hosts sports competitions, concerts, festivals and trade shows and community meetings.
Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. Hosts musical acts from across the country.
Coming June 20, a guide to the best recreational sports venues for adults